


Alas I, care not to repeat.

by NeverWrite



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Charthur, Dancing, Drabble, Drunk Arthur, M/M, Scars, around chapter 2, author regrets everything give author a break cause danm she's tired, i love them, no TB, no beta we die like men, tb? Who? I don't know her, these are my favourite boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:40:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25141039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeverWrite/pseuds/NeverWrite
Summary: Charles Smith doesn't hang out when the camp gets drunk, Arthur investigates and end up with the story of how he ended up with that scar.Charles can smell the whiskey on Arthur's breath.Charles sat far away from the buzz. Gun in hand and eyes out for anyone intruding. He had only known these people for a month now. Known was too generous of a word. He'd been with these people for a few  months now. And it was suffocating to be surrounded in their vast but unfamiliar joy.  They told tales of their lives while most of Charles hitched at his throat. You don't get pleasent stories when your  presence has been that of lone wanderer. So he opted out. Sat guard. These fools would need at least one person in their right mind in the morning anyways.
Relationships: Arthur Morgan/Charles Smith
Comments: 2
Kudos: 42





	Alas I, care not to repeat.

**Author's Note:**

> Charles and Arthur centric  
> Tw: light mentions of blood and violence.

Charles can smell the whiskey on Arthur's breath. 

Charles sat far away from the buzz. Gun in hand and eyes out for anyone intruding. He had only known these people for a month now. Known was too generous of a word. He'd  _ been _ with these people for a few months now. And it was  _ suffocating _ . To be surrounded in their vast but unfamiliar joy. They told tales of their lives while most of Charles hitched at his throat. You don't get pleasant stories when your presence has been that of a lone wanderer. So he opted out. Sat guard. These fools would need at least one person in their right mind in the morning anyways. 

He sat in silence. Back against the fence, eyes into the void, ears passively hearing drunk chatter. Till he heard footsteps.

"Hey Charles!"

And before he could turn his head back he heard a thump.

He jumped up, saw Arthur on the ground, legs trembling as he tried to get up.

A usual sight for drunk nights. 

Charles walked to him, slowly. Arthur with his balance of a newborn fawn wasn't going anywhere, anyways. He wrapped his arm around Arthur's waist as Arthur wrapped his own behind Charles’s neck, and got him standing. Body pushed into Charles. Not that he was complaining.

"Are you alri-" 

"Why aren't you drinking with the rest of us?"

Arthur asked in a quick, blunt tone. 

It caught Charles by surprise. He didn't think anyone would notice. Let alone  _ look _ for him. 

"I - I-um someone needed to keep guard, " Charles said, surprised at the stammer in how own voice. 

"Well let that no good Sean take it, he's been nothing but trouble for us. " 

"Cmon Arthur, he just came ba-" 

"Or Bill. His drunk ass will probably be starting a fight in a few minutes." 

Almost on cue, Bill's voice boomed through half of the camp. Something about being called dumb, most of it lost in drunk translation.

"I say we give Bill a bottle, and send him somewhere quiet with Hosea," Arthur commented, an annoyed expression on his face after hearing Bill's voice. Charles let out a chuckle. 

"Only one person is coming back from that." 

"And it ain't Bill." 

Charles’s arm was still wrapped around Arthur's waist as he started walking him back to the singing drunks. Tried to anyways. 

Arthur stood unshaken. Arm still around Charles. Pulling him back with a sort of ease.

Arthur's half drunk strength wasn't a surprise to Charles, especially after seeing him in action. He'd seen him get into blind shoot outs with multiple people. Arthur always powered through, like the work horse he was. The brawl in Valentine, where Arthur beat a man, helped Charles and Javier, then beat another man, thrice his size, into the mud all within a matter of minutes. It erased any doubts Charles had leftover. Behind the dirty blonde hair, eyes that melted into jewel colours, and several smartass comments was a ravage man who could snap bones for pleasure. 

"Why didn't you ask someone to guard with you? Everyone is hitting the bottle. We'd need more protection anyways," Arthur asked with more seriousness in his tone. Eyes set on Charles, like he was a foreign language Arthur was trying to interpret. 

"Would you have done it? " Charles asked, a hint of whimsy in his voice "everyone needed a break. It's fine. " 

"Of course I would've! And you need a bre-" Arthur tied to calm the enthusiasm in his voice 

"Join us now c'mon” Arthur said, pulling him again. 

Part of him was ready to be pulled away. But he could already hear Bill's stories of the war, and he really wasn't in the mood for the glares he gave him everytime he described its atrocities. Not tonight. Not in a camp of do-first-think-second outlaws. Not when everyone was passionate and drunk. 

“No Arthur I  _ actually _ have to keep guard."

“Well let me join you. Keep you company.”

“No, Arthur. Go celebrate with your family.”

“ _ Our _ family, Charles," Arthur paused, "besides I don't think I've the feet to dance anymore. "

“But Arthu- ”

“But nothing. Unless you have a problem with my comp- ”

“No, no I don't”

He said a little too fast. Arthur didn't seem to catch it.They walked down a bit . Arm still stabilising Arthur.

Not Mr Morgan, but Arthur. Arthur, sounded right on his tongue. He didn't notice when it went from Mr Morgan to Arthur to Arthur Morgan holding on to him like he was the only thing keeping him from drowning. Nor did he notice when he started enjoying it.

He dragged him down to the soft grass, where he had previously sat. The spot was mostly dark but beams from camp still found their way in. 

Charles tried moving his arm from around Arthur but Arthur's hand found his, he pulled it back, now it rested on his thigh. Arthur slowly leaned into his shoulder and Charles didn't dare move. A heavy body against his, resting as it pushed onto him, Charles appreciated the warmth and weight of it. 

Breezes blew by in the calmed silences. The crackling of fire, clinking of bottles could be heard. 

Arthur's hand rubbed circles into his, as his eyes dazed off deep in thought. 

“Arthur?"

“Hmm? ”

“When did this happen? ” Charles asked as his thumb ran over Arthur's screaming red knuckles. 

“Ah, um, saw some O'Driscolls hanging about, they got mouthy, you can guess the rest.”

“You don't have to get into every fight, yknow?”

“Says the man who shot a poacher, point blank”

“He had it coming!”

Arthur let out a laugh. 

“Well it's my turn, how did you get that?”

“Get what? ”

“That, ” Arthur said as his hand moved closer to Charles, who wore a confused look on his face.

Arthurs laid eyes on the lightning shaped, white, scar prominent on Charles’s cheek. Thumb hovering above it, like he was waiting for permission. Charles nodded in reply. Arthur slowly ran his finger against the bends of the scar, hand almost scared to hurt Charles. 

“Does it hurt? ”

“Not anymore. Not much anyways. It...did...,"

Charles’s voice trailed off, checking to see if Arthur was still interested. 

Arthur hummed asking him to continue 

“It used to. I'd smile and be in agonising pain, but it's better now ”

“How did it happen?" 

“... I don't remember. Well not clearly, anyways"

“You remember nothing about it?...you don't have to to tell me of course. It's fine. Stupid question really." 

“No, no, Arthur you're fine. Um I remember bits. I remember i-it was cold. The glass. It was cold. I could still feel its cold against my skin even as it cut into it . His hands were shaking, he was drunk. God he worked so slow, Arthur," Charles took in a deep breath trying oy gather his thoughts, "I....it was near some saloon. I don't know how I ended up outside it, or why it was so dark or why no one else wasn't there or why I couldn't...but...he...he was smiling. His eyes were lost but he was smiling. It was a genuine smile. It's the main thing I remember. Carved into my brain. The smile. Smiling like he was producing art and not carving up some teenager's face. I think I asked him to stop, at least  _ tried _ to. His knees were real heavy. Wouldn't budge. I don't think he intended to stop but someone called him, Skinner, I think? He then uh quickly? Dragged the glass against my head. I think he meant for it to be deeper but my luck hadn't run out yet. I guess....I'm sorry I, " Charles’s breath was heavy as he said the last sentences. 

"I'll kill him" Arthur said, the brimming anger cutting through Charles's thoughts. 

"Oh Arthur that's sweet of you but you don't need... It's fine." 

"You'd do the same for me." 

"In a heartbeat," Charles said with no need of hiding his intention. 

“Or I'd just lay him at your feet for you.”

“It's fine really. I think it's a bit vain but I actually kinda like it.”

“So do I,” Arthur said, placing a kiss on the lightning near his lip. 

He looked up to meet Charles’s gaze before carefully placing his lips on Charless. Hand still tangled in hair. Charles, didn't back away, it would have been sin to, he just closed his eyes. 

From a distance he could still hear the fire crackling, feel Arthur's lip against his, hear Karen's drunk singing, fingers curling tighter into his hair, though the camp chatter had died down.

_ But my heart beats on as warmly now _

_ As when the summer days were nigh _

Arthur pulled himself up. Almost swaying down but Charles was already by his side holding him up. 

“Retiring, then? ”

"Dance with me.”

“What ”

“They can't see us here, Charles. Dance with me?" 

_ The sun can never dip so low _

_ Or down affections cloudless sky _

Charles hesitated, more surprised than at the kiss. 

“It's bright out here. I'm pretty sure everyone can see us.”

“Okay sure. I'll head off then. Just didn't think a big scary cowboy like you would be afraid of a little banter.”

_ A hundred months have passed, Lorena _

_ Since last I held that hand in mine _

Charles pulled Arthur closer. Hand around the small of his back. Other holding Arthur's. Arthur's head buried into his shoulder. 

_ And felt the pulse beat fast, Lorena _

_ Though mine beat faster far than thine _

“Once, but then you're going to bed. I'm not dealing with everyone hungover, alone in the morning. ”

“Sure, Charles”

And they danced, back and forth, feet stepping on the other, giggling and laughs. Arthur nearly dragging them both down. Charles almost hitting the ground trying to dip Arthur. Arthur, a laughing drunk mess, barely contained in Charles's arms. 

_ There is a future, o, thank God _

_ Of our life this is so small a part _

Charles carried a liar Arthur to bed. Pulled a blanket over him. Charles sat on the ground nearby, taking the silence of the camp in. 

Tomorrow morning was going to be a pain.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Title is from The song Lorena. Which is also the song used in this fic.(The song is present in game)  
> I just changed the last line to add ours because I'm that kinda sappy  
> I just have so many headcanons regarding that scar. Aaaa  
> Please come annoy me on tumblr @distinguishedkingdomwolf or @neverwriter12  
> or on twitter @never_writer  
> Kudos and comments highly appreciated!!!


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